IN the book of Genesis we have the record of seven men who obtained a good report through faith (see Heb. 11:1-22). Dese men lived before God gave any Holy Scriptures to His people, so they had to depend for instruction on divine revelation, given either by Jehovah appearing or calling out of heaven, or by angels or dreams.
In the book of Exodus, God gave Moses communications which He instructed him to write in a book (see Exodus 17:14; 24:4, 34:27; Deuteronomy 28:58, 31:24).
Thus Moses was the first man to write God’s records, and his five books cover an immense area of God’s dealings with mankind. They begin with God’s ways in creation, and His estimate of it before man was created, and end with the yet future blessing of Israel. The Lord Jesus commented on Moses’ writings, “he wrote of me,” and “if ye believe not his writings, how can ye believe my words” (John 5:47). Moses was faithful in God’s house (see Num. 12:7), and so we can trust all he wrote, and profit by his faithful records given by the Holy Spirit.
Concerning the book of the law which was to guide Israel in the ways of the Lord, it is very noticeable where it was ordered to be kept. We read: “Take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God” (Deut. 31:26).
Now the ark was a figure of Christ, and the book had to be kept in contact with it — a striking figure of how the Scriptures must be connected with Christ Jesus (see 2 Tim. 3:15). Apart from faith in Christ Jesus they are not much understood.
Joshua was the first man who was shown the importance of the book. We read: “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success” (Josh. 1:8). This is an important lesson for God’s people today, and the judgment-seat of Christ will disclose how far their service has been regulated by subjection to the Holy Scriptures.
Samuel wrote in a book and laid it up before the Lord (1 Sam. 10:25), showing the importance of every inspired writing.
The king in Israel was to write for himself a copy of the law, as we read: “And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests, the Levites: and it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the Lord his God” (Deut. 17:18).
David was the first king to whom God gave fresh communications, and he wrote most of the Psalms. His son Solomon, too, was a writer; King Hezekiah likewise (comp. 2 Chronicles 35:4; Isa. 38:9). In King Josiah’s day, we read, “Hilkiah the priest found a book of the law of the Lord given by Moses... and Hilkiah delivered the book to Shaphan... and Shaphan carried the book to the king... and Shaphan read it before the king” (2 Chron. 34:14-18). How long the knowledge of the book had been lost we do not read, but anyhow so long that its contents were unknown to Josiah until Shaphan the scribe read them to him. In this country most persons have a Bible in their houses, but, alas! its true teaching seems to be almost as unknown as in the days of Josiah.
If we pass on to the prophets who were instructed to write their messages in order to preserve them for the then future time, all of them regarded what had already been written by former writers, and every fresh revelation was consistent with what had gone before, plainly showing the origin of prophecy of Scripture, and how one mind gave it all. “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man; but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (2 Peter 1:21). Each writer based his statements on the history of either persons or places recorded by former writers, while he himself opened up things yet to come, so far as the Holy Spirit was pleased to give him at the particular time.
The last of the Old Testament prophets was John the Baptist. He was not a writer, but he confirmed what was written by refusing to apply Malachi 4:5 to himself, but acknowledging Isaiah 40:3 had reference to him and to his message (see John 1:21-23).
When Jesus came as the One who was full of grace and truth, He recognized the importance of all the light and truth God had previously given through His prophets, and frequently alluded to what they had said, quoting their sayings as having full authority. He pointed out that the Scriptures testified of Himself (John 5:39), and after His resurrection He expounded to His disciples from the Scriptures things concerning Himself, and further said that “all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the Psalms concerning Me.... Then opened He their understandings that they might understand the Scriptures” (Luke 24:27, 45).
Jesus thus most blessedly confirmed every part of the Old Testament, and by His own teachings gave additional light, which only a Divine Person could have imparted, as One who was in the bosom of the Father while He was here on earth (see John 1:18). When He had ascended up where he was before His incarnation, He sent down the Holy Spirit, through whom we have a fresh class of writings. The Old Testament writers spoke of the coming of Christ and the work which He should accomplish; while the Apostles of the New Testament wrote of the same blessed Person as having died, risen, and ascended, and also unfolded the effect of all He had done, as associating all believers with Christ where He now is. These New Testament writers all quoted from the Old Testament writers, showing the one Spirit permeating every part of inspired writing. Thus the Old and New Testament writings are one whole, and are so woven together that it is impossible to separate any portion without destroying the whole. The enemy of our souls knows this, and works craftily by employing professing Christians, under the name of higher critics, to do his dreadful work of shaking the faith of simple believers.
Bold infidels have for many years rejected the whole of the Scriptures, denying them to be Divinely inspired; so believers do not listen to them. But, alas! those who attack parts of Scripture, under the show of learning, are not so readily avoided, and many believers who were once bright in their souls have fallen under this snare of the devil. Many such are never recovered in this world. However, their breakdown does not affect the faithfulness of the Holy Spirit to remain in them, and the Lord’s faithfulness to come and claim them as His own, by virtue of His death and resurrection.
G. W. GY.
Fragment. ― The Bible, though composed of sixty-six parts, is one unique whole. In the Old Testament you have in the historical books the figures, and in the Psalms the feelings, of Christ presented.
In the New Testament you have in the Gospels the facts of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection, and in the Epistles the fruits thereof.
W. T. P. W.